Going for the Regardo
by shellwrx
Summary: My submission for the Boys on Boards contest. When a vacation in Australia lands pro surfer, Edward Masen, in front of a cool and aloof surfboard designer that he can't help but be attracted to, will things heat up or will he wipe out?


My submission for the **Boys on Boards** contest.

**Summary: **When a vacation in Australia lands pro surfer, Edward Masen, in front of a cool and aloof surfboard designer that he can't help but be attracted to, will things heat up or will he wipe out?

Huge thank you to my beta, Hibbleton 78, for her unfailing support of anything and everything I attempt to write. A very special thank you to Anna_Faze, my beautiful Aussie friend who helped me make sure this piece lived up to the Australian fantasy I was trying to depict. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Rated M. Standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

><p><strong>Going for the Regardo<strong>

**Regardo: (slang, Australian). A surf session that is undertaken despite adverse conditions**

The first time I saw her she was on the front porch of her shop, a dilapidated wooden shack painted a faded sea foam green. She was leaning far over a generic-looking white surfboard propped up on two rickety sawhorses, scraping a shaping tool back and forth in long sensuous strokes.

The girl was a vision in a tiny pair of denim shorts and a thin white tank top stretched tightly over a dark bikini. I couldn't quite make out the color, but I did notice the unmistakable flash of bronzed skin on her lower back peeking out every time she bent forward. She was slight in stature yet had the most alluring womanly curves, like a young Betty Page. Her arms and legs appeared toned with long, lean muscles flexing tight with each movement under silky golden skin. Her long, mahogany hair was pulled up into a high, sloppy pony tail atop her head. I spied a colorful tattoo of a mermaid wrapped around her ankle just begging to be touched—or licked.

I noticed everything about her.

She, however, never so much as glanced in my direction.

"Are you Bella?" I'd deduced as much from the hand painted sign in the shape of a miniature surfboard hanging above the door that read 'Bella's Boards.'

"Who wants to know?" She'd asked in a strong Aussie accent, while she kept right on working, never pausing in her efforts to address me directly.

"Uh… My name's Edward. I hear that you're the girl to see about a custom board. I was told to tell you that 'Rose sent me.'"

"Fucking Rose, always meddling," she'd mumbled to herself, just loud enough for me to hear. "I'm booked solid. Flat out like a lizard drinking. Not taking any new orders right now."

I hadn't known whether to laugh or scoff, but with that abrupt statement she'd effectively dismissed me.

That very evening I found myself sitting at the hotel bar with my best buds, Emmett and Jasper, enjoying a pint and waiting on Emmett's fiancé to join us after work. Jasper and I had agreed to a three week vacation to Gold Coast, Queensland to meet the love of Emmett's life and soon-to-be wife, one Rosalie Hale. Or Rose, as we'd quickly learned she preferred to be called.

He'd met her on a business trip five months earlier, and while he'd made a couple of trips back to see her since—once to propose—this trip was the first time that we'd had a chance to meet her in person and give the ol' customary friend approval.

Emmett fell fast and hard in love with Rose and was now permanently relocating to make Australia his home. I would miss his crazy-ass humor and half-baked ideas, but seeing him and Rose together solidified any doubts I had of him rushing into something rash. She complemented him in every possible way.

Plus, my lifestyle as a professional surfer had me traipsing all over the globe following the tide wherever it may take me. So it wasn't like I didn't visit Australia frequently, especially Gold Coast and Surfers Paradise Beach. Of course, Emmett would also be travelling back state-side for both work and to visit friends and family on a regular basis.

"Hi," a sultry voice greeted from behind us.

"G'day mate," Emmett exclaimed with a shit eating grin.

"Stop saying that. You're being a bloody dickhead," Rose chided, rolling her eyes playfully.

Emmett jumped off his barstool to welcome his fiancé properly. When he was finished shoving his tongue down her throat, she greeted both Jasper and me with friendly hugs.

Rose was the epitome of what every warm-blooded American male pictured as the ideal Aussie babe: athletic and toned, tanned to perfection, long sun-bleached blonde hair, and brilliant turquoise blue eyes. She was gorgeous, no denying it. Add in the accent and she was completely irresistible. No wonder Emmett had been instantly hooked.

"Are we ready to go?" Emmett asked the group. We'd made plans earlier to go out to dinner at Rose's favorite hole-in-the-wall seafood restaurant this evening.

"Yep, my girlfriends are meeting us there. They're so excited to meet your friends and see you again, babe," Rose purred, as she cuddled into his side.

We all piled into an old, white Land Rover that looked like it had seen better days. I was gazing out the window, watching the sun make its evening descent turning the sky unimaginable shades of pink and orange when Rose brought up the one thing I had been trying hard not to think about.

"So, Edward, did you drop in to see Bella about that board today?" she asked as she expertly navigated the local streets, taking us further from the hub of touristy hotels and into an older part of the town.

I hadn't yet told the guys about the cold shoulder her friend—the Ice Queen, as I had come to refer to her in my head—had given me; turning away business before she'd even heard what I wanted. I wasn't about to embarrass Rose over her friend's chilly demeanor.

"I did, but… she didn't really have what I was looking for," I replied with a dismissive wave of my hand.

Except she _did_ have what I looking for… and so much more. But that was irrelevant now.

"That's odd. She's been going on and on about trying all these new green and eco-friendly materials for months now. I thought she'd jump at the opportunity. Plus, she's a _huge_ fan of yours."

"Guess not."

"Huh…" Her forehead crinkled in thought as steered us into the parking lot of Harry's Fish Shack.

"Dude. What did you think of Bella? She's hot, right?" Emmett chimed in, clearly _not_ catching on that I was trying to drop the subject.

"Uh, yeah. She's attractive." _And a bitch_, I added silently. Fuck hot and a bitch. Guess they have those everywhere.

"She's an amazing artist too. Does all of her own graphics for her boards," he added, as if he was trying to make a sale even though she had already turned me away. "Told her I want her to make me a board as a wedding present."

"Em, I don't think surfboards are considered an acceptable wedding gift," Jasper interjected, earning a round of snorting laughter from everyone.

"Well then she can make us a set of matching boards—Mr. and Mrs."

We waited in the bar area of the restaurant for Rose's friends to arrive. The place had a relaxed atmosphere, like a neighborhood bar back home, with a vast collection of license plates and beer signs adorning the walls. Rose ordered some froufrou girly drink with an umbrella, while the guys and I ordered a round of beers.

I excused myself to use the restroom, and when I returned I noticed that two pretty brunettes had joined our party. I took a moment to scope out Rose's friends while they chatted up Emmett and Jasper. I wasn't necessarily looking for a hookup, but I had three weeks to kill. Might as well enjoy myself.

And I really needed to get the brush off from Bella out of my head.

Both of the girls were on the shorter side, one with a long intricate braid hanging down the length of her back and the other with short hair curled out every which way. Each of them had slim, athletic builds like Rose—bodies sculpted to perfection by hours spent paddling on the water. Surfer girls. My kind of girls.

"Oh hey, Edward, come meet my friends," Rose called in her friendly but boisterous voice as soon as I was within ear shot.

Both of the girls spun around to greet me with welcoming smiles. And that's when I realized…the girl with the long braid was none other than the Ice Queen—Bella Swan. The same Bella Swan who had blown me off without so much as a glance this morning. I'd only caught a glimpse of her profile earlier, and of course her lovely back side, but I knew without a doubt that it was her. A quick glance down and I had my confirmation, the shimmering fin of a mermaid's tail wrapped from her ankle to the top of her foot.

She shot me a breathtaking smile as she took me in and it confused the hell out of me. I immediately averted my eyes to her friend. She was attractive too. Maybe without the same heart-stuttering pull that Bella evoked in me, but perhaps I could hit it off with her if I put some effort into it.

"Edward is Emmett's oldest friend," Rose stated, singing my praises. "They've known each other since primary school, right?"

"Uh yeah, if that's the same as the second grade," I replied, giving the short-haired hottie my most flirtatious smile. I was calling dibs on her; hoped Jasper didn't mind.

"These are my best friends Alice and Bella," Rose said pointing to each of the girls respectively before adding, "Well, I guess you and Bella have already met."

I avoided direct eye contact with the Ice Queen, whose brows were drawn together in confusion as Rose brought up our awkward meeting this morning, and extended my hand to Alice first.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Alice," I said, turning on the gentlemanly charm. My momma raised me right.

Her hand felt cool and tinge clammy in my own as I gave it a soft shake.

"Nice to meet you too," she replied back cheerfully. Her eyes bounced from mine to something just over my shoulder. The sudden puzzled look on her face caused me to follow her line of sight. Just behind me stood Jasper. Glaring. At me.

I'd never seen him looking so fierce. What the hell was that about?

I turned back to Alice, releasing her hand and trying to catch her eye, but it appeared her attention was fully diverted by Jasper. Great. Just great.

Still avoiding any direct eye contact with the Ice Queen…er…Bella, I casually held my hand in her direction.

"Bella," I greeted curtly. Her hand was warm and soft as she squeezed mine back in greeting instead of shaking it.

"You're Edward? The Edward Masen? The surfer?" Before I had a chance to respond or question the obvious adoration in her voice, she turned to Rose, "Why didn't you tell me Emmett is friends with Edward Masen?" Her eyes were wide and slightly panicked, and I found I quite enjoyed her sudden discomfort.

"Em and I thought it would be fun to surprise you. Besides, I thought you two met earlier today at the love shack?"

"Love shack?" I was so fucking confused.

"That's what she calls my shop," Bella answered with a dismissive flick of her wrist, before turning her attention back to Rose. "And he did drop in, but uh..."

"Bella was a little busy," I intervened, unsure why I was even bothering saving her. I should've let Rose rip her a new one for being so rude, but I was on vacation and really just wanted to avoid any drama.

Yeah, that was it. No drama.

"You gave him the cold shoulder, didn't you? I can't believe it," Rose exclaimed, earning uproarious laughter from Emmett and Jasper.

"Dude. Dissed and dismissed," Emmett taunted.

"Classic. This never happens," Jasper added. Both of them still coughing out harsh laughs at my expense. What-the-fuck-ever.

"I didn't…" Bella started, but Rose cut her off.

"Just tell me why? You've had the hots for him forever."

Well this was certainly getting more and more interesting.

"Piss off, Rose. I thought you were sending another tourist over to chat me up."

"Mighty sure of yourself, aren't you," I cut in, enjoying her discomfort immensely.

"Oh, like you weren't perving at my ass for five minutes before you bothered introducing yourself?" Bella sassed back. Okay, so she had me there, but I wasn't letting her win so easily.

"Actually, I stopped by to see if you'd design a custom board for me. We all got to talking the first night, and Rose said that you were the best at what you do. She also said that you were really interested in getting into working with recycled and green materials. I happen to be in the market for an eco board."

I smirked, trying to remain cool and appear disinterested.

"Really?" I tried hard not to laugh at the squeak in her voice.

Truly, I did.

"Yep. Why? That's something you'd be interested in, is it?" I said with undisguised sarcasm. It was like dangling candy in front of child.

"Well yes, actually…" She cleared her throat before turning all business. "I could do it. There are a couple of options. I have some green foam blanks I've been dying to try that are made from a recycled polyurethane foam waste that's produced in the manufacturing of most surfboards, or we could try recycled wood…" she rattled off a number of possibilities as she twirled the end of her braid around her fingers.

I barely registered the words she was saying as my eyes watched her mouth form each individual sound. Her voice was like a siren call to me. The mermaid tattoo, I realized, was very fitting.

"Wow," I replied, failing to come up with anything intelligent to say as I was thoroughly caught up in a fantasy that involved that silken braid wrapped around my fist as I pounded into her tight…

Dammit. What was it about this woman?

I shook my head, trying to recall what she was talking about. "Those, uh… those all sound like cool options, but… I thought you were booked solid?" I quirked an eyebrow at her in challenge, trying to keep the upper hand.

"I am," she replied coolly, "but I really want to do this. If you could come by my place tomorrow morning we can talk some more." She seemed sincere, but the stark contrast between the gorgeous, smart girl standing in front me to the sexy bitch I meant earlier was dizzying.

"Sure. Tomorrow," I nodded. I glanced around, noticing for the first time that all of our friends had left us. Bella must have noticed as well.

"I guess we should… uh… " she giggled nervously, as she stood and wordlessly signaled for us to go look for our friends.

"Right," I agreed, swallowing hard against the sudden awkward tension that filled the air between us. Bella fidgeted, hiking her bag up higher on her shoulder as she surveyed the large room. I took her cue and started searching out Emmett's tall frame with my eyes. "Huh. Maybe they got a table," I concluded, when it became obvious that they were no longer in the small bar area.

Odd. How long had we been talking?

"Shall we go check?" she asked.

"Can I buy you another beer first?" I offered, eyeing her empty glass. It was a line. I knew it. She knew it.

"Only if you promise not to subject me to that weak as piss beer that you were drinking," she snarked with a playful smile.

"Weak as piss beer? Damn." I huffed out an embarrassed chuckle, "Alright, what are we drinking then?"

Bella impressed me, ordering us each a pint of a local dark beer instead of some light beer or chick drink.

"Cheers," she said, raising her glass. The way she spoke the simple word made my cock twitch in my thin board shorts.

I took a long pull from my beer, and she was right. It was full-bodied and rich, coating my throat with a smooth yet slightly bitter malt flavor. This girl had good taste.

She grinned in victory as she took in the satisfied look on my face.

"Perfect," I admitted. She didn't say anything, just nodded her head in pleasure and headed out towards the dining area in search of the rest of our party.

We found our friends seated at a round table out on the covered patio dining section. The evening air was warm and the patio was packed with patrons standing around trying to lay claim on the next available table.

As it were, the table our group had snagged was much too small for all of us, but they had at least managed to save two chairs for us. Knowing eyebrows were raised as I pulled one of the chairs out for Bella—I'd decided that perhaps she didn't deserve the title of Ice Queen after all—and took the empty seat next to her.

The six of us crammed in a tight circle, exchanging stories and laughter. I was all too aware of the way Bella's knee was resting casually against my own and the tantalizing sensation of her braid brushing against my arm every time she leaned forward to take a drink.

After dinner—I'd had the prawns based upon Bella's glowing recommendation—we continued to talk and drink. New friendships forged effortlessly as we laughed and teased. I found out that Bella had spent a year in the US with her mom when her parents divorced. She'd lived in Washington and hated everything about the experience, especially the cold, rainy climate.

"I bet you were a hit with the boys though. Americans love accents," I teased.

"Not in grade six they don't," she replied dryly.

I couldn't imagine any eleven year old boy not sporting wood over a young surfer girl like Bella with a smooth lilting voice and strong Aussie accent.

"I don't believe that for a second," I told her, holding her gaze. I noticed for the first time that I had unconsciously rested my arm along the back of her chair. Bella's cheeks pinked as she realized the same thing. Her eyes flashed back to mine with a new flame blazing in their depths.

She glanced around our group noticing as I had that everyone was coupling off. Rose and Emmett were of course eager to get each other alone and naked, I was sure. But Alice and Jasper were also eyeing each other with undisguised lust. I guess that back-off glare he'd given me earlier really did mean something.

"What do you say to a midnight surf?" she whispered to me, her expression full of mischief.

"I'd say that sounds perfect." And it did. Especially with her.

We waited for our friends to announce their departures first, electing to hang back a bit. Rose offered to give Jasper and me a ride back to the hotel, but quickly caught on that we had all made our own plans. Emmett pounded my fist and not-so-subtly gave me a lame thumbs up. Bella just laughed and shook her head. At least she seemed like a good sport with a decent sense of humor now that she'd let her guard down.

Not thirty minutes later we were back at Bella's flat—the love shack—where she'd disappeared into the back to change into a swimsuit. She emerged wearing an outfit that looked eerily similar to what she had been wearing earlier today. It looked like I'd finally have the opportunity to inspect that bikini much closer.

I emptied my pockets of their contents, and she kindly stashed my cell phone and wallet with her own bag. She lent a board to me, one of her own designs, and led me down the deserted sand beach to the breaking surf.

We stopped at a strategically placed piece of driftwood to shed our clothes and drop our towels. I turned towards the water inhaling the salty sea air tinged with the refreshing scent of the surrounding eucalyptus trees. The smell invoked memories of home—small Capitola, California where eucalyptus grew side by side with palms and redwoods along the coast.

With my back still turned to Bella, I tugged my t-shirt over my head and kicked off my flip flops leaving me in only my dark brown, plaid board shorts. I heard her rustling around behind me and prepared myself for the sight of Bella in much less clothing.

She came to stand beside me and stared forward out at the rising tide where the moon was shining directly overhead casting awe-inspiring reflections on the surface of the water. I caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of my eye. A royal blue bikini with triangle cups just covered her perky breasts. Her bottoms were tied at the side on each hip, and I really had to restrain myself from taking a step back to check out her amazing ass.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Always."

I followed her lead, the respectful thing to do since this was her native beach, as we paddled out into the tepid water. I admired the long sexy muscles of her back, arms, and legs that only a daily surfing regimen could maintain as we dove under crashing waves and swam past the breaking tide.

Straddling our boards, we both took a moment to catch our breath. I gazed up into the stillness of the night, taking in the millions of twinkling stars shining up above and the feel of the cool coastal breeze on my wet skin. Behind us I could just make out the lit up sky line of the city and the glowing white sand of the beach. It was beautiful out here—absolutely breathtaking.

However, none of it compared to the vision beside me. Bella had her eyes closed and her face turned up to the heavens almost as if she were praying. She was stunning in her quiet communion with nature.

Without thought I reached out to her, watching goose bumps break out on her arm as my fingertips trailed down from her shoulder to her elbow, finally capturing her hand where it rested palm down on the surface of the water.

She entwined our fingers as she opened her eyes and looked at me—really looked. I took the opportunity to soak her in too: eyes shining in the moonlight, water droplets tracing the supple curves of her breasts, the dip of her waist and the swell of her hips. I'd never seen a more stunning sight.

"You're beautiful," I breathed.

"So are you."

Letting go of her hand, I spun around on my board and reached over to tug her and her board closer so that we were floating side-by-side facing each other, thighs touching, legs twisted, hands clasped. I heard her intake of breath as I leaned into her, felt her heart race as I pulled her into my arms, and smiled when her eyes begged me to do it. Kiss her.

My lips met hers, gently at first and then with an explosive passion that came from deep within me. She must have felt it too, because she fisted my wet hair in her hands and secured my mouth to hers. She tasted like ocean water, cherry ChapStick, and something sweet that was just her. My tongue pushed between her lips and sought out hers: stroking, sucking, and caressing.

And, god, this girl could kiss.

I wondered, not for the first time in my life, if it was possible to have sex on a surf board without drowning. But before my head—or cock—could run with the idea Bella pulled away. She was all grins and coy glances as she suggested we catch the next set of swells, leaving me with a rather inconvenient tent in my drawers.

The mischievous glint was back in her eyes, and I wondered if this was her plan all along. Humble the career surfer by throwing him off of his game from the start. It worked.

I adjusted myself and flipped back around on my board, glancing over my shoulder to assess the pace of the set. As the next swell surged forward, I watched Bella paddle ahead and jump up at just the right moment.

She was good.

With a carefree _joie de vivre_, she threw her hands above her head and yelled at the top of her lungs as she rode out the wave, her laughter carrying back to me on breeze.

Amazing.

I followed on the next the wave, catching it high, feeling like I was soaring ten feet above the water. It was the single most incredible feeling in my life. I followed Bella's lead and let out a roaring yell as the power of the ocean carried me effortlessly towards the shore. I came up coughing, laughing, and spitting out salt water when the wave finally broke, and let the tide slowly begin pull me back out into the dark abyss.

I drifted over to where Bella was floating, bobbing softly up and down with the rise and fall of each swell, and was struck with a jarring thought.

_It would be so easy to fall in love with this girl._

"That was awesome," I praised, trying to control the sudden racing of my heart.

She hummed in contentment. "I love surfing at night."

"Me too."

"Ready to go again?"

"Yeah. Wanna go together?"

"'Kay," she replied with sweet smile.

We paddled back out, sparing a moment for another heated kiss in the moonlight, before lining ourselves up to catch another ride. Bella looked to me to pick the wave this time, so I did. As the water started to suck back underneath us and swell behind us I pushed forward and paddled hard. She was right on my tail, following the same line as the wave surged forward.

This time we caught it on the face, a wall of water shimmering eerily in the moonlight. My hand skimmed the surface of the tube as I cut hard to the left, Bella following right behind me. And we were flying. Again.

Unbelievable. I'd _never_ tire of this weightless feeling.

I crouched low preparing to bail as the wave started to break behind us. I saw Bella dive first, off to the side avoiding her board like a pro. I followed a split second later. The leash on my ankle pulling taut as my board tried to continue on without me.

A cool hand wrapped around my bicep as I surfaced, spinning me around to face her. As I got my bearings, I realized the water was shallow enough to stand where we had landed. Bella pulled me to her, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"That was so hot," she breathed against my lips, before capturing them in a searing kiss.

My hands skimmed down the length of her body, over her hips and around to circle her thighs. I hitched her up in the water, and her legs wrapped around me automatically. We were pressed so close, so tight. We continued to make out like a couple of teenagers until I heard a shriek and then we were under water. A wave toppled us both over, catching us off guard while we lost ourselves in each other.

We both laughed as we came up gasping for air and adjusting our suits.

"Wanna get out of here?" she asked.

I nodded dumbly.

"Follow me."

She hoisted herself back up on her board and paddled north. I had no clue where we were going since we were clearly headed away from the direction of the love shack, but I followed. I had a feeling I'd follow her anywhere.

Our destination was a sea cave, dark and hidden away from prying eyes.

"Not that I'm complaining, but I can't see anything," I whined as she jumped off her board.

She laughed at my amazing ability to state the obvious, while she searched around behind a rock for something. She came up victorious and a moment later the cave was flooded with a soft glow.

"You come here often?" I teased, nodding towards the lantern.

"We smoke out here sometimes," she said with a telling smirk.

"I see."

We pulled ourselves up on a flat rock covered in with soft smattering of sand. Bella wrung the water out of her braid as I watched—enamored by her. Not even bothering with pretenses, I pulled her to me so that she was straddling my lap. Our kissing picked up exactly where it left off, heated and heavy with the promise of something more.

Her body felt like heaven against mine, ample breasts pressed against my hard chest, slim waist against my strong abs. Her skin was like silk stretched over lean muscle. Perfect. I wanted more; I wanted everything.

I reached between us to palm her breasts. She let out a shuddering breath and attacked my neck, pushing me back to lie down.

"We should have brought a towel," I groaned.

"We'll rinse off later," she giggled.

"We're gonna get sand rash."

"Shh." She shushed me with a finger to my lips. "Just feel."

Her finger tips traced the dips and lines of my abdominal muscles, making me twitch and gasp under her touch. I rolled her nipples between my fingers through the thin fabric of her bikini top earning the sexiest moan ever.

And then things happened fast.

We were both panting and frantic as we stripped each other of our skimpy attire, baring our bodies in the soft lantern light. I propped myself up to a sitting position and pulled her back down to me. My mouth attacked her neck as I reached down to where she was bare. My finger dipped between her slick folds, exploring and preparing. I circled her clit with my thumb and she bucked into my hand, my cock twitching against my stomach at the feel of her arousal.

She reached down and grabbed my cock in a sure grip, swirling her thumb over the tip, causing my head to fall back as I moaned in sheer bliss.

So good. So close. Want…

I needed to feel her, to taste her, something… anything. My fingers pumped in and out of her while my lips and tongue explored her breasts, closing over her nipple. I sucked and teased as my hand continued to bring her closer to the brink.

"I need you," she gasped, releasing my cock and positioning herself above me.

Her eyes searched mine and I inclined my head in agreement. I kissed her softly with reverence as she slowly sank down on me.

And I was wrong before.

Surfing is the second most amazing feeling in the world, because this is the first. Being inside Bella. Connected to her in this way.

We kissed and panted as I grasped her hips and slowly began to move her up and down in a gentle rhythm. I shifted below her and she cried out as I sank into her completely—fully sheathed. So deep. Our bodies moving together in a dance older than time.

I reached between us and pressed against her clit, she moaned in appreciation. I pushed harder, circling my fingers over her until she was calling out my name over and over as she spasmed around me, falling apart in my arms in the most incredible way. I followed right behind, thrusting once, twice, three times before I found my own release, spilling deep inside of her.

Amazing.

I held her close as we both came down from our highs. After a few minutes, she sat up and started feeling around for our suits. After redressing, Bella dived down into the pool of water in the cave.

"Come on, babe, I promised you we'd rinsed off," she called up to me in that sexy as hell accent. I smiled at the term of endearment. It sounded even better passing from her lips.

I splashed in next to her, making her laugh, and pulled her to me. She was suddenly very serious as she wrapped her arms and legs around me.

Eyes averted, she quietly asked, "How long are you here for?"

"Three weeks."

"You'll be back for Rose and Emmett's wedding, no doubt."

I gently grabbed her chin and brought her eyes back to mine, "Bella, I'll be back for _more_ than just the wedding."

"Yeah?"

I gave her what I hoped was a comforting and reassuring smile as I said, "Absolutely. Now why don't we head back, and you can show me how the love shack earned its name."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Thank you to everyone who voted and reviewed in the Boys on Boards contests. There were a ton a amazing entries. If you haven't already go check them out!

xo, Shell


End file.
